North Jersey Notes: L.I.F.E., New York, NY

My bass brother, Elo Hernandez, who’s played with bands like But Not Forgotten and the Marc Rizzo Band, recently emailed me to check out his new band L.I.F.E. or Love Is For Eternity. Well, it’s not exactly Elo’s band, but he does play bass for them. Now, this project is not something that I would expect Elo to be playing for, as it’s not a metal band or a hard rock band. In fact, it’s more of a Latin rock band. I logged onto the MySpace page to hear a couple of songs like “Heaven” and “Fuego.” The songs are well-produced, but are definitely not my cup of tea. They’re extremely radio-friendly, but I think that calling them a rock band might even be a reach.

It’s been some years since keyboardist Rae Serrano has played stadiums internationally with Afrika Bambaataa. Rae’s resume is pretty impressive and even includes a gold record for his Beat Street soundtrack work. He even has a hit song called “Clave Rocks” with another one of his projects, Amoretto. The song can actually still be heard on dance radio stations around the country. Now, Rae is turning his attention to his main priority, L.I.F.E. The music blends his Latin roots with his passion for progressive pop. Since L.I.F.E. is his project, Rae carefully hand-picked each musician that could make his musical vision a reality. Joining Rae in L.I.F.E. are singers Marcel Weisz and Norma “Mimi” Ojeda, Peter Wallach on lead guitar, my bro Elo Hernandez on bass, and drummer Leslie Spalding.

L.I.F.E. will be performing at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ, on July 24 as part of Luke Rizzo’s Metro Art Expo. You can give L.I.F.E. a listen via their MySpace page, myspace.com/loveisforeternity1, where you can also find out where else you can catch the band’s energetic live show.

North Jersey Notes Updates

My boys from Marlboro, NJ’s, Leaving Sideways have given the band, sort of, a facelift with a new sound and a new name. The band is now being called Venus Vegas, and their sound is much more modern. Their new songs, “You’re Not Worth My Time” and “Lost,” are amazing! They sound a little bit more hard rock with a flare of pop. Venus Vegas’s self-titled debut CD is set to drop sometime this fall. You can catch Venus Vegas live at The Saint on July 31.

Speaking of new, my brother John Mosco from Sixty Miles Down, recently emailed me a brand new song from Sixty Miles Down called “Soul Murder” and I love it! The hook is so catchy that I couldn’t get it out of my head for days. Unfortunately, John told me that his drummer search is not going all that well. He and guitarist Roger Manzo, however, are really happy with the progress of their new bassist Adam Young. John also told me that the band is toying with the idea of putting out a four-to six-song EP sometime this year. They just need a damn drummer! If you can kick ass on the drums and want to hold it ‘down for Sixty Miles Down, check them out at myspace.com/sixtymilesdown.

And finally, I know that I just wrote about them, but With Daggers Drawn is just pumping songs out like they’re going out of style! They recently posted another two brand new songs for free download. The songs “Four Year Term” and “Whipping Boy” sound simply amazing! With Daggers Drawn is hotter than they’ve ever been, and they don’t seem to be slowing down. “Amnesiac” was also put into regular rotation on WSOU. You need to catch With Daggers Drawn live with their new lineup as they stop in at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, on July 23 with One Brick Down and Lamps Burning in tow.

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next. No cover bands, please! Also, if you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, do it now at northjerseynotes.mypodcast.com!

Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!